Methinksabout's Blog

THE Dress!!

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:23:36 GMT

Seeing as I am now in my "Wedding year" it look like I have to think a little bit more about my wedding - LOL.. Joining a bridezilla bigest loser challenge has definitely brought it more into focus and I posted something about my fear/apprehension of THE dress there - but to keep it handy, I just thought I share it here, too.. hopefully to be able to share some nicer thoughts on it soon.. :-) Thanks for reading

DRESS?? OMG, that’s such a horrible topic! I really don’t want to go dress shopping! I know a lot of girls love to go wedding dress shopping but I have never been one of them.. I really dread it! I am more the blue jeans/trousers type of gal and would love to get married in a white, floating trousers - but my fiancé is having none of that.. It has to be a classic white/ivory long dress..

Having never worn any dresses - ever! I hardly ever worn skirts (maybe once ever blue moon) and now I have to find a dress that flatters my weird shape and look good in it? Without knowing what I want and what would actually suit me? I have nice-ish legs, but am broad in my upper body - so a wedding dress will nicely show off my problem areas while covering up my best asset - NICE!

Really really don’t want to! And to top that, I will have to pay a huge amount of money just for a dress to be worn for a couple of hours! Not sure I can really justify that! Am actually eying those online dress shops - in the end it only has to last 12-14hours max and will be stored away in a box anyway.. so what’s the big deal?

Yeah, I guess if I would be happy with my figure things would be different. But they are not. And seeing as I have been told to order my dress roughly 6 months before the wedding - am freaking out! Because that is pretty much soon.. AT THE LATEST MID FEB!! And I won’t be able to shed much until then! Devastated!

And another problem: What size will I buy it? I def don’t want to get married in the size I am now (and I should be able to shed some weight / dress sizes in 7 months, right?) but I have no idea what is possible and how to judge it! I have started heavy lifting in the gym middle of Nov but had to take a break for our Christmas holiday - so now am re-starting that and I hope that will shape my body - but that also makes judging my body in 7 months time really really hard! But no matter what the size actually will be, I want to have nicer shoulders and a less fatty/flabby back - that should be manageable, right? Does any of you lovely ladies have any experience with losing dress sizes simply by going to the gym? Any advice?

Luckily my MoH is coming over from Germany end of Jan to have a look with me - to find out what suits me and to make the experience of dress shopping a bit nicer.. She will def be able to make me feel more comfortable about wearing a dress, so am really looking fwd to that! EVEN THOUGH it is waaaaay too early! But when it comes to more details of the dress? I dunno really what I want. I know I want an A line dress with a fairly plain skirt, no ruffles and probably a holder neck - always depending if it actually suits me. Maybe some lace or sparkles around the bust area - if it doesn’t focus too much on my broad shoulders..

Sighs.. I don’t know!

Off-topic: The Mason Jar

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 12:24:56 GMT

A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous “Yes.”

The Professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the Professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things – your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first”, he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

When he had finished, there was a profound silence. Then one of the students raised her hand and with a puzzled expression, inquired what the beer represented.

The Professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers with friends.”

"Rose" - Author unknown

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:44:53 GMT

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know.

I stood up to look around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder. I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a smile that lit up her entire being. She said, "Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?" I laughed and enthusiastically responded, "Of course you may!" and she gave me a giant squeeze.

"Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?" I asked. She jokingly replied, "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of children, and then retire and travel."

"No seriously," I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be taking on this challenge at her age. "I always dreamed of having a college education and now I'm getting one!" she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate milkshake. We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to this "time machine" as she shared her wisdom and experience with me. Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us.

She was introduced and stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor. Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and simply said, "I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in order so let me just tell you what I know."

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began: "We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success:

1. "You have to laugh and find humor every day."
2. "You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even know it!"
3. "There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding the opportunity in change."
4. "Have no regrets. The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets."

She concluded her speech by courageously singing "The Rose." She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our daily lives.

At the year's end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those years ago. One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep. Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.

If you read this, please send this peaceful word of advice to your friends and family, they'll really enjoy it!

We send these words in loving memory of ROSE.

Remember,
GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY,
GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.

My BodPod experience

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 18:03:23 GMT

So a couple of you wanted some more information on my BodPod experience :-)

Not sure what that is? It explained on the bodpodlondon homepage: "Body Composition Tracking System is an Air Displacement Plethysmograph which uses whole-body densitometry to determine body composition (fat and fat-free mass)." Not enough informaiton? Google is your friend ;-)

I got in contact with the cheapest provider of it (£30) and got an appointment for the following week! Brilliant! So I went to the British College of Osteopathic Medicine in London this morning before work. I was the only one there (so no annoying waiting with 10 other ppl) and Daphne was very nice and explained the pod and everything else to me. Yes, it was a bit strange sitting in my swimsuit in that pod and feeling the air pressure getting higher, ears popping and all - but not at all uncomfy or anything like that! And it was over really quickly, was out of the building 30minutes later! Great experience!

My most up-to-date numbers are:

Weight: 231 lbs (104.8kg => exactly the same weight my bathroom scales told me this morning)
Fat percentage: 45.8% (105.8 lbs or 48.0 kg)
Lean Body Mass: 54.2% (125.2 lbs or 56.8 kg)

My bathroom scale is bang on par in respect of weight but unfortunately waaaay out when it comes to fat percentage - sorry, can't give any recommendations in this respect! But at least I can rely on the weight and wasn't in a huuuge shock this morning when she told me my official weight!

She calculated my TDEE for me (which apparently is 3233 kcals! even when chosing "sedentary"). I doubt this number very much as it only took my current weight into account, not my LBM - so I will stay wide away from this number!! Even though this would be brill!! Just imagine all the food I could eat! Nom nom! ;-)

She also calculated my BMR with a formular that included my LBM so I think this is more trustworthy.. Even though it only ended up being 1597 kcals a day.. shame though, got my hopes up when I saw my TDEE :)
The formular she used was: BMR = 370 + (21.6 X Lean Mass kg) Kcals/day - I will have a look online to see if what other calculators recommend - just because I now have my proper LBM rather than just an estimate.. Exciting!

It definitely was worth going there today, and I am really pleased to be able to calculate my BMR/TDEE now a little bit more accuratly! I am definitely planning on going back there once I've reached my goal weight just to see the difference in numbers and hopefully to find out that I indeed only lost fat instead of lean mass! Those £30 were definitely well spent - even if my fiance thinks differently! ;-)

Gym sessions [No. 0 and No. 1]

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:16:27 GMT

so, my first day in the gym? Well, it was only suppose to be a quick introduction to the gym itself, not really setting up a plan or working out properly. So I met Paul, my inductor, and I told him that I would like to gain strength and that I would like to follow the book *shoving NRoL4W in his face* He didn't had any idea what that was but after having a flick through and looking at the exercises he said that they are likely to be too advanced to start with and that I should try and work up my strength on different machines before starting it. So we did a round in the free weight section and he showed me how to do lunges and squats in proper form - with dumbbells rather than a barbell, but that's fine, I got to built up some basic strength anyway before playing with the bar I think. He also showed me what to look out for when doing push-ups and let me 'play' a bit with some kettle-bells :-) All in all it was a nice session and he seems to be a 'nice' trainer and very good when it comes to looking at form etc, but am not sure that he would be the right person to have him helping me with NRoL4W. Especially when it came to PT sessions it was clear that those sessions would be compiled of what the trainer wants and how he thinks I should work/improve etc rather than him helping me with my program. And those sessions seem to come in sets of 5 which 'should' be taken weekly to get the optimum out of it. So not too convinced with that, but I think for the next couple of weeks I will have a go at NRoL4W myself and I'll see how I feel once am doing it properly.

Having had a break for over a week already due to first a cold and then a busy week, I only went to the gym for the second time last saturday. But at least I had plenty of time to prepare for my first proper session on NRoL4W ! So I read up on what exactly to do, how to do it, looked at youtube videos regarding form etc and tbh, it all didn't look too bad! So I went early on Saturday morning to avoid the rush-hour and just had a go. Mainly to see how it feels and to get a feel for what weights I should use and how long a session would take me. It really was great! Those two sets of 15reps each didn't take that long and most of the exercises were fairly easy!

Yes, I know my weights where not really high enough yet, but I will take higher ones next time - little by little!
Yes, I know I did push-ups leaning onto a 22" block and not properly, but boy, they did burn already - and I can definitely feel the pain today still!
Yes, I started those prone jackknifes with my knees on the ball rather than my shins - but this is the beginning! I will get better and improve on all this and I will one day get to using the barbell and seeing myself becoming stronger and fitter and yes, I will get there!

So am pretty pleased that I went and that I got the guts to started it on my own! So thankful to all you lovely pals out there who reassured me that NRoL4W can be done by a beginner! So so glad I asked and that you all took the time to reply! It really means a lot to have such a great support group behind me!

Thank you so much!!!

To gym!

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 15:36:09 GMT

Yes, I've decided!

After having a look at a couple of gyms either close to work or close to home I have decided to give my local one a try. For the moment I will be paying a yearly fee and then each time I go which worked out cheaper if I go twice a week and breaks even if I go three times (excluding holidays away) - so we'll see how I get along - I can always change it to a fixed contract if I want to.. I have already made an appointment for my induction there tomorrow and I can start properly on Friday! Will definitely give it a serious go - I even have a little competition going with a friend (unfortunately she's going to a different gym than I) - most weightloss each week, loser pays for a coffee on Monday morning :-) should keep me going! I might book a session with a personal trainer for the weekend to make sure I have good form and won't do any harm to myself!

I just got my book "New Rules of weight lifting 4 women" and am pretty excited to have a good read and get sorted to start! Already joined the group here and am now really looking forward to starting! thought am a bit scared as well, seeing as I have never done anything like this before - yes I have been on those leg machines but never lifted properly.. all new!

I also took measurements last weekend so that I can rely on those going down should my scale be nasty - hopefully only for the first couple of weeks as I have so much to lose still and on the long run it will be disappointing if I keep carrying this weight around for much longer..

I have set myself a little trial period until end of Jan 2013 to decide whether or not it makes sense to me to go to the gym to lose weight or just stick to watching what I eat. Seeing as in the last 4 months I have lost 32lbs I will see if I can lose the same amount in the next 4 months and see how I feel. I used to feel quite hungry and exhausted after doing any exercise so I have to see how this will work out for me. Yes, am very lazy and always looking for excused NOT to exercise :laughs:

Wish me luck!

to gym or not to gym..

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 15:13:28 GMT

OK, I seem to have gotten back on the wagon and got my weight loss under control again - lost those 3 German-holiday pounds and sent off another 2 just for good measure! Very please with that! Hunger is still something that I am facing during the day, so might have to tweak when I eat my calories and spread them out a bit more. Apart from that I can't really complain. =]

Well, of course I can. One thing that has been bothering me for quite a while now is the fact that I have focussed mainly on my diet and have hardly done any exercise at all. I just feel too lazy and cosy at home to get my big backside in gear and get moving. Also I found that when I was doing something (30DS, going for a walk/jog or bike ride) that I did not lose anything for that week and the next. I know that has something to do with glycogen/water retention in my body but while I know that, I still find it frustrating not seeing the scale move. And truth to be told: now with the days getting shorter, wetter and colder I don't see myself doing must jogging/bike riding in the next couple of months anyway.. So I have to do something else!

My problem with going to the gym in general is that I have joined the gym several times before and despite good intentions I never managed to stick with it while paying horendous amounts of money. Am not even too sure how I would manage the financial burden of that monthly commitment anyway, but if I could actually stick to it, that would at least make it worthwhile - I know I now should think "well if I am paying, I HAVE to go", but unfortunately that never worked for me! What did work for me was having someone who was kicking my butt, like a proper gym buddy who I would let down if I am not going.. (not sure why I am not good enough reason for not letting MYSELF down really? hmmm.. have to ponder over that!)

It's not like I am not doing anything at all, I am walking to and from work, which is 20min walk each way, but I really feel like I should be doing more, something more "serious" and more "dedicated" than just that.

So, after thinking back and for and back again, I now want to join a gym. Maybe just on "pay as you go" to see if I can stick with it. I want to start with weight training and look more into that EMTWL and NWLRFW (or however these abbreviations are). But I don't know how to start. And: does doing weight training now mean that I won't lose anymore weight but slim down instead?

Who of you girls has actually started lifting while still having lots to lose? how did you do it? how did you start?

All help is greatly appreciated!

Off-topic: NYC Taxi driver's story..

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:33:47 GMT

Found this online and need to keep it somewhere safe.. has nothing to do with fitness or weightloss but i am sure some of you will like it as much as I do...

A NYC Taxi driver wrote:

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. After waiting a few minutes I honked again. Since this was going to be my last ride of my shift I thought about just driving away, but instead I put the car in park and walked up to the door and knocked.. 'Just a minute', answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90's stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940's movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets.

There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

'Would you carry my bag out to the car?' she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.

She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. 'It's nothing', I told her.. 'I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.'

'Oh, you're such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, 'Could you drive through downtown?'

'It's not the shortest way,' I answered quickly..

'Oh, I don't mind,' she said. 'I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. 'I don't have any family left,' she continued in a soft voice..'The doctor says I don't have very long.' I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

'What route would you like me to take?' I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, 'I'm tired.Let's go now'.
We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.

Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

'How much do I owe you?' She asked, reaching into her purse.

'Nothing,' I said

'You have to make a living,' she answered.

'There are other passengers,' I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

'You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,' she said. 'Thank you.'

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut.It was the sound of the closing of a life..

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day,I could hardly talk.What if that woman had gotten an angry driver,or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.

But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

Tough Weekend...

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:22:10 GMT

Last weekend was really tough. Having leaving drinks on Thursday and a Hen-do on Saturday, both of which where very boozy and fun - in their own way. I know I have had busy weekends before, even heavy party weekends which never really bothered me too much. But last weekend was different. For the first time since being on MFP I really struggled on Sunday to get back on track. To log my food and to make healthy choices. I just felt moody, miserable and annoyed. Mainly with myself I guess..

I do know that going overboard on two days per week is not going to make me gain those 25lbs back on. Or stop me from losing anything from now on. Yes, I might not lose much or anything this week, but that's the price I have to pay for those two fantastic nights out. And it never bothered me before. I always knew that those days were the exception and the rule was to eat healthy and within my limits. So what was different this time? Why was I feeling so low and just didn't want to care? How come I had the right mind set for 100 days but on day 101 something didn't sit right?

I guess one big thing was going shopping on Friday after work. I was struggling to find clothes in general and when I found something 'my size' I had to find that they still did not fit right or just didn't look nice. Or were way too expensive for me to get. Never mind that those were very old fashioned and making me feel like a granny. Who was I kidding? Losing 25lbs did not bring me back into the normal shops, it just made it easier in the big size shops. It just reminded me again about how I am much I don't feeling good in myself sometimes - and no matter how hard I tried, reminding myself of all those mantras and 'I am worth it' - I just couldn't shift this feeling on Friday/Saturday. I just couldn't forgive myself for not caring about my weight for so long, for letting me get back to the weight I was/am and looking the way I do at the moment..

I know that I was expecting a bit much by thinking I already dropped a dress size - but on the other hand, I might have not been wearing the size I need when I started and now finally fit into the size I thougth I was wearing at my highest. That was quite hard to swallow. Especially when I tried on the only dress I found in that size - and it didn't zip up! I didn't like the look of it on me anyway, so even if it would've fitted I doubt that I would've bought it, but seeing that I can't even fit into a dress in that size makes me wonder about my wedding dress and if I will be able to fit into something nice.

Then there was the reminder in form of the "hen" and how she looks - I honestly don't know how much she weighs and how I compare next to her (different shape, height etc) but she is a very big girl. But she seems to be alright with it, had fun and drinks and was posing for pics and generally had a good time - but I saw other people in the club making fun of her behind her back and it made me so angry and sad! Someone even took a video with his iPhone and was narrating it - I could lip read 'fat bride' and 'poor fella' while he was filming her - I was really tempted to go over to him and make him delete the video and give him an earful of my thoughts.. but then again that would've spoilt the eve and it would have drawn her attention to what he was doing. And he was drunk so I guess there was not much sense it talking to him anyway so I just tried to ignored him - but it really bothered me! I don't want to be like her and I found his behaviour so awful!

So today I re-read all my motivational emails, Pinterest and here on MFP and I think I am over it. I mean, I did get back to logging and eating healthy and within my calories straight away on Sunday so I did pretty much exactly as I was planning to anyway, it was just my head that was not quite in it.. But right now I feel like I am back on track and from the daily check with the scales I am doing ok - not too much damage done..

One of those many motivational things that I found really fitting for me today was:

But often the strugglers, when loosing their grip,
just throw in the towel and continue to slip.
And learn too late when the damage is done,
that the race wasn't over...they still could have won.

And yes, the race is never over and I will win and get there eventually! Patience is a virtue and I do persevere! Chakka!!

Day 100!

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:13:38 GMT

Many thanks to all of you for your support over the last 100 days! It has been a tremendous help knowing that there are ppl out there who actually look at my diary and keep me accoutable for what I put in my mouth, who are supporting me in every way possible on MFP and I'm so grateful for your friendship! I am always looking forward to checking my phone for your new updates, to hear about your losses, your NSV's and your stories! The motivation is great and I love to be in the same boat with so many lovely people, exchanging tips and tricks and encouraging and helping out whereever possible!

I am so glad that you hold me accountable, that you make me challenge myself ever day and help me becoming a healthier person! So here is a huuuuge thank you for all of you! You rock! and I am so glad to call you my friends!

I know I have been talking about starting to jog again, and seeing so many of you exercising so hard and regularly really makes me think that I can do it and that I am just to lazy to do it regularly! Then again I rather do a bit at a time than nothing at all! So yes, I have only done 1 bike ride and 2 jogs so far, but I am soo glad that I started and that I know that I can do it, that I can make the time for it and that every little helps! So what if I only do it once a week and take it easy exercisewise for the rest of the week? As long as I am doing more than I've done before and watching what I am eating, it is all better and I shall not be upset about not having done it earlier, longer, more often or anything like that! I am on my way, in the right direction and I will reach my goal - eventually! Of course there will be times when I won't be losing as much as I want to, or where I gain a bit.. but that is normal and as long as the general direction is downwards, I can be proud!

I am sure that my jouney would not have been as successful as it has been so far without you! Thank you all so very much for being here for me!!